Cajuput oil is a volatile oil obtained by distillation from the leaves of the

myrtaceous Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All species ...

trees '' Melaleuca leucadendra'', ''

Melaleuca cajuputi ''Melaleuca cajuputi'', commonly known as cajuput or white samet is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is widespread in Australia, Southeast Asia, New Guinea and the Torres Strait islands. It is a medium to tall tree with papery bar ...

'', and probably other ''

Melaleuca ''Melaleuca'' () is a genus of nearly 300 species of plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, commonly known as paperbarks, honey-myrtles or tea-trees (although the last name is also applied to species of '' Leptospermum''). They range in size ...

'' species. The trees yielding the oil are found throughout Maritime Southeast Asia and over the hotter parts of the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n continent. The majority of the oil is produced on the Indonesian island of

Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...

. The name "cajeput" is derived from its Malay name, or "white wood".Definition of "cajuput" by Oxford Dictionary
on Lexico.com

Production and uses

The oil is prepared from of cajeput leaves and twigs macerated in water, and steam distilled after fermenting for a night. The resulting oil is extremely pungent, flammable, and has the odor of a mixture of turpentine, eucalyptus and

camphor Camphor () is a waxy, colorless solid with a strong aroma. It is classified as a terpenoid and a cyclic ketone. It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel ('' Cinnamomum camphora''), a large evergreen tree found in East Asia; and in the k ...

. It consists mainly of

cineol Eucalyptol is a monoterpenoid. A colorless liquid, it is a bicyclic ether. Eucalyptol has a fresh mint-like smell and a spicy, cooling taste. It is insoluble in water, but miscible with organic solvents. Eucalyptol makes up ~70% - 90% of eu ...

(see terpenes), from which cajuputene, having a hyacinth-like odor, can be obtained by distillation with phosphorus pentoxide. It is a typical volatile oil, and is used internally in doses of 2 to 3 minims, for the same purposes as clove oil.

Medicinal Uses

Pain management using Cajeput oil works by causing surface warmth and irritation through the help of a chemical called cineole. It is frequently employed externally as a counterirritant. It is an ingredient in some liniments for sore muscles such as Tiger Balm and Indonesian traditional medicine . It is also used as an ingredient in inhalants/decongestants and topical pain/inflammation remedies such as Olbas Oil. In regards to direct application, cajeput oil can be applied to large areas of skin (after completing a patch test), minor wounds, scratches, and rashes. Cajeput oil can also be mixed with liquids like antiseptic lotions to treat rheumatism and shampoo for hair care.

Benefits

While essential oils like cajeput oil are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are alleged benefits to using it. For skin, cajeput has been researched to have anti-septic and antibacterial qualities. This helps remedy minor cuts and scratches which helps prevent infection. Cajeput oil may also have anti-inflammatory effects to help skin conditions like psoriasis and acne, although this research is not well established. Other alleged benefits of Cajeput oil include: toothaches, muscle soreness, joint pain, toothaches, sinusitis,

common cold The common cold or the cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the respiratory mucosa of the nose, throat, sinuses, and larynx. Signs and symptoms may appear fewer than two days after exposu ...

, cough, anxiety, and stress.

Potential Side Effects

Like other essential oils, Cajeput oil produces similar natural side effects. These include skin rashes, redness, irritation, burning, and

hives Hives, also known as urticaria, is a kind of skin rash with red, raised, itchy bumps. Hives may burn or sting. The patches of rash may appear on different body parts, with variable duration from minutes to days, and does not leave any long-lasti ...

. Topical use should be used cautiously and through a carrier oil. As directed by the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, topical use should “Start with three to six drops per ounce of carrier oil. If you don’t have sensitive skin, you can gradually increase this amount up to 15 drops.”. One should also avoid direct inhalation as Cajeput oil is strong enough to cause or worsen respiratory issues especially for pregnant or breastfeeding women, children, and pets.

Drug Interactions

Cajeput oil can change the metabolism abilities of the liver for certain medications through the

Cytochrome P450 Cytochromes P450 (CYPs) are a Protein superfamily, superfamily of enzymes containing heme as a cofactor (biochemistry), cofactor that functions as monooxygenases. In mammals, these proteins oxidize steroids, fatty acids, and xenobiotics, and are ...

system. Drug interactions with Cajeput oil can potentially cause stronger or weaker adverse effects depending on the medication being broken down by the liver.

For fish

Cajeput is used for the treatment of bacterial or fungal infections in fish. Common brand names containing Cajeput are

Melafix Melafix is a brand of aquarium medicine made by Mars Fishcare, marketed as a natural remedy for bacterial infections, made from cajeput oil. Uses Melafix is used by hobby fishkeepers to treat and prevent bacterial fish disease, including fin ...

and Bettafix. Melafix is a stronger concentration and Bettafix is a lower concentration that makes it harder to overdose smaller fish, especially bettas. It is most commonly used to promote fin and tissue regrowth, but is also effective in treating other conditions, such as fin rot or velvet. The remedy is used mostly on betta fish.

References

Essential oils {{botany-stub